. First off, I think we can accept your judgement. Mostly. Yankee Privateer seems agreed upon and fits the criteria I stated (2000 copies would sell to libraries and 1000 to Specialty Book Dealers).
Perhaps the rest could be done in 1000 print run omnibus editions strictly for collectors. (That is, no attempt at library sales, etc.) If so, the Company would "come back and deal with them later" after doing the ones that were feasible as I stated.
In any case, I'm going to add some details. I'm talking about 25 to 50 people, each sacrificing something on the order of one "big trip" or "a year's worth of collecting." $500 - $2000 each. I suspect it would be set up as a subchapter C Corporation -- regular type. I'd want to bum help off Jerrie's husband, or the like, for advice and maybe some help. The stockholders would also work on the projects. E.g., write intro. material, help with publicity, modest stuff.
We would hope to recover their money in 3 - 5 years. Basically, I think we could get back the initial money, plus some surplus, in 2 years from the time it was ALL on hand. However, we'd be doing a 2nd title by then and only actually return part of it. That's why I would go with a regular rather than "S" corporation. While the corporation would pay taxes on the modest profit, when the capital was returned, it would not be taxable to the stockholder. (This gets complicated. Not for discussion HERE.)
Oh well, first I'm looking for enough people to come up with money. They don't have to be participants in this board. I suspect, for instance, that if we promised to do JUDGEMENT ON JANUS at some point, if no one else did, we could get Alan Steele to kick in. (I talked to him about this at ConStellation/Huntsville, recently.)
As for Jack Byrne, remember he's a professional agent. What we're considering is on the border between professional and fan. While we could expect to go THROUGH him, in this, I'm not sure what help he'd be (as in your statement re his working on a similar project). I think, Irene, you know who the Publisher is that I'd be piggy backing on.
THAT is pretty much already in place. The hold up is a formal contract with that publisher (and I've got a different, but reasonably priced local lawyer in sight to do that work ... as part of the $25,000) ... and the money.
It still looks like I will have the money and set up to do my own project/company, sometime next year, even with personal financial reverses bad enough to cause me to go get a normal job again. (Either IRS Clerk or Office Temp.) I'll probably go the LLC route on my own company.
IF we got enough committment on this one, I'd just make a list of who promised to do what. When I got my own operation going, this would just be "one more title" but by a separate company. That's similar to "my projects" being "just one more title for the existing publisher." (He's already renigged on a statement that he'd never go over 12 titles a year. He's up to 15 for next year. )ALTERNATEIVELY, if there isn't enough committment, I could shove my present project into the future and just do this one title with "my company." Is there anything else "associated with" YANKEE PRIVATEER?
